1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a library device to house a plurality of data cartridges such as a magnetic tape, magnetic disc, optical disc, or magneto-optical disc, or a like and to selectively extract a desired data cartridge out of these data cartridges and, by using a drive device internally mounted, to read and/or write data from or onto storage media housed in the desired data cartridge.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-014662 filed on Jan. 22, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a library device (called a “data storage system” or a like, in some cases) to house, for example, data cartridges such as tape cartridges in a plurality of cells in a magazine and to selectively extract a desired data cartridge out of these data cartridges and to read and write data stored in the data cartridge by using a drive device is known (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-175655).
FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams showing a magazine 1200 to be used in the library device disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-175655. FIG. 16A is a front view of the magazine 1200 and FIG. 16B is a left side view of the magazine 1200.
As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the magazine 1200 has cells 1230 each housing one cartridge in such a manner in which the cells 1230 are stacked in a longitudinal direction and a grip 1280 for carrying the magazine 1200 which is attached on an upper face of a cabinet. The library device selectively extracts a cartridge, with the magazine 1200 being set in the library device, by using the cartridge extracting/transferring mechanism (not shown) mounted in the library device and transfers the selected cartridge to a cartridge reading/writing mechanism (not shown) in the library device so that the cartridge reading and writing mechanism reads and writes data stored in the cartridge.
On a side of the magazine 1200 are provided one magazine detecting flag 1260 to detect whether or not the magazine 1200 is set (that is, exists) in the library device and a plurality of position detecting flags 1250 to detect a relative position between the above cartridge extracting/transferring mechanism and each of the cells 1230. Both the magazine detecting flag 1260 and the position detecting flags 1250 are so constructed as to be of a slit shape by notching a plate-shaped structure formed integrally with the cabinet and each of the position detecting flags 1250 is mounted in a position corresponding to each of the cells 1230.
The conventional library device is made up of a sensor to detect the magazine detecting flag 1260 and another sensor to detect each of the position detecting flags 1250 and is configured so as to detect, by using these sensors, whether or not the magazine 1200 exists and a position of each of the cells 1230.
However, in the case of the conventional library device as described above, the magazine detecting flag 1260 and the position detecting flags 1250 are provided on a side of the magazine 1200 and, therefore, space to house these flags is required, causing the magazine 1200 to be large. As a result, space is required in the library device itself to house such a large magazine 1200, as a result, making it difficult to miniaturize the library device itself.